Reversible variable-speed gearing.



Patented lan. 28, |902. G. F. CUNNER.

REVERSIBLE VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

(Application 1ed Mar. 11, 1901.)

6 Sheets-Sheet i.

No. 692,|2o

(No Model.)

No. 692,!20. Patented lan. 28, |902.

G. `F.\ CORNER.

REVERSIBLE'V-ARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

(Application filed Mar. 11, 1901.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 692,I20. Patented 1an'. 28, |902.

G. F. conm-:IL REVERSIBLE VARIABLE SPEED GEARING. (Application md mr. 11, 1901.) (Nn Model.) 6 Sheets-.Sheet 3.

N0. 692,|20. Y Patnted lan. 28, |902. 1 G. F. CNNER. l

REVERSIBLE VARIABLEYSPEED HEARING. (Application fIled.Mar; 11, 190.1.) (no Model.)

S vSheets--Sheet 4.

5 n vanto@ Patented lan. 28, |902.

G. F. CNNER.

` REVERSIBLE VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

(Applicaion med Mar. 11, 1901.) Y

. Jn i@ w,

Patented 1an. 28, |902.

s. F. comen. REVERSIBLE VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

(Application led Mar. 1l, 1901.)

e sheets-sheet '6.

(No Model.)

noankoz UNITED STAT-13s i PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. CO-NNE'R, OF PORT IIURON, MICHIGAN.

REVERSIBLE VARIABLE-SPEED GEARING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 692,120, dated January 28, 1902.

Application led March 11, 1901. Serial No. 50,691. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. CONNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Huron, in the county of St. Clairand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in` Reversible Variable- Speed Gearing; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in variablespeed gearing of that type wherein expansible cone-pulleys are arranged upon shafts and connected bya drive-belt and the relative speeds of rotation of the shafts are controlled or regulated by simultaneouslyincreasing the belt-running surface of the pul ley upon one shaft and decreasing such surface of the pulley on the other shaft through the medium of suitable shifting mechanism. The object of the invention is to provide variable-speed gearing of this type which is comparatively simple of construction, durable in use, and eifective in operation and one in which the end thrust of the sliding sections of the cone-pulleys is partiallytaken up and undue friction between such pulleysections andtheircontrolling devicesavoided, the drivebelt maintained in proper position, the bearing-surface and driving qualities of the belt increased, and a quick and easy operation of the shifting mechanism for varying the speed of the driven element insured; and a further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the direction of rotation of the driven element of the Variablespeed gearing may be reversed atl Will. i

With these and other objects Vin view,whicl1 will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

'i 1, In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a f top plan view ofthe same.

i perspective view of a reversible variable-speed is a detailV side elevation of the counter-shaft and parts thereon. Fig. 5 is asection through the sliding disk of one of the cone-pulleys, the .coperatingspring collars, and connecting parts. Fig. 6 is a crosssection through the counter-shaft online 6 6 of Fig. 5 looking toward the outer face of the sliding section. Fig. 7 is a sectional View through the frame, drivengear-wheel, sprocket-wheel, and friction-disks of the reversing mechanism on the power-transmitting shaft on line 7 7of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is adetail perspective view looking toward the inner face of one of the pulley-sections. Fig. 8" is a similar view of the coacting pulley-section. Fig. 8b is a cross-section thronghthe drive-belt, showing the edges of the belt as arranged to bear against the driving'surfaoes of acone-pnlley. Fig. 9 is adetail section on line 12 12 of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the hanger 47, showing the sleeves 41 and 49 in top plan view. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the hanger 47 with the sleeve 41 removed therefrom, and Fig. l2 is a perspective view of the sleeve 41. Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents a suitable frame or support in which are mounted a drive-shaft 2 and a counter-shaft or driven shaft 3. On these shafts are mounted cone drivingpulleys 4 and 5, each consisting of a pair of disks or sect-ions having conical driving surfaces arranged to face each other. These pulleys are connected by a driving-belt 6, the construction of which will be hereinafter described, which communicates motion from the driveshaft 2 to the said driven or counter-shaft The drive-pulley 4 on the shaft 2 has one of its disks 7 keyed or otherwise fixed thereto and its other disk S arrangedrto slide loosely thereon toward and from said fixed disk 7. The pulley 5 on the counter-shaft 3 is similarly constructed, having one of its disks 7 keyed thereto and its other diskS mounted to slide thereon toward and from said disk 7 The said loose or movable disks 8 and IOO edge of the belt. The meeting faces of the disks of each pulleye and are provided one with lugs or projections 9 and the other with recesses or sockets 9 to receive said lugs, which hold the disks connected and adapt the loose disk to rotate with the shaft. By this construction it will be seen that by the sliding of the loose disk of each pulley on its shaft said pulleyis adapted to cause the conical driving-faces of the disks to approach and recede from each other, thus effecting a change in the position of the belt contact on the cones, whereby the speed is varied in a manner more fully hereinafter described. The purpose of arranging the loose disks 8 and 8' to lie upon opposite sides of the driv- 1 ing-belt 6 is to keep the belt always at right angles to the shafts and in proper line when the disks of the pulleys are opened and closed.

It will be readily understood that in effecting a change in speed the disks of the pulley upon one shaft are forced apart, while the disks of the pulley upon the other shaft are drawn together, and in thus shifting the disks it will be apparent that if both loose disks were located upon the same side of the belt the latter would tend to creep away from one side of the fixed pulleys and to get out of proper alinement; but by arranging the loose disks to lie upon opposite sides of the belt but one of said loose disks moves away from the belt at a time, whereby the fixed disk of the other pulley in line with said loose disk is adapted to act as a guide to deter creeping of the belt, and thus prevent the belt from getting out of alinement.

The belt G comprises in its construction a link chain 10, composed of link members jointed together andv provided at their side edges with flattened inclined bearing-faces 11. To said chain is secured a band12, of leather or other suitable pliable material, said band being of somewhat greater width than the chain and having its longitudinal side edges 13 free to fold at an angle to the body of the band against the said inclined faces 11 of the chain-links to forni frictional driving-surfaces. The band may be secured to the chain in any desired manner; but I prefer to employ the construction shown in the present instance, wherein the links of the chain are provided with integral studs or projections 14, which pass through openings formed in the belt and are clenched or upset against the inner side thereof to hold said belt firmly connected to the chain. The band 12 is caused to assume a U form under the pressure of the conical driving-surfaces of the pulleydisks, and the side edges 13 of said band are caused to fold at an angle against the flattened angular faces 11 ofthe chain to form frictional driving-surfaces,J which contact with the said conica-l driving-faces of the pulley-disks. This construction of the belt with a chain having links formed with flattened side faces and a pliable band having free portions adapted to fold against said angular side faces is of advantage in providing rein forced frictional driving-surfaces which vary in pressure against the conical faces of the disks according to the relative positions of the latter, and thereby adapt the chain to have a much stronger driving action than if the chain or belt were used alone. The belt is not herein claimed except in combination with the other cooperating features of the variable-speed gearing herein described, as it forms the subject-matterof another application tiled of even date herewith, Serial No. 50,692. The pulleys are adjusted by the action of the driving-belt on the sliding pulleysections 8 S and by providing means for limiting the outward movement of said sliding sections under the thrust of said belt. In other words, the tendency of the belt to force the sliding sections 8 8 outward is taken advantage of in effecting the adjustment of the pulleys for varying the speed, one pulley being increased, while the other is reduced by positively sliding the movable section of one pulley inward and allowing the movable section of the other pulley to be slid outward to a limited extent under the pressure of the driving-belt. The construct-ion for effecting this result will now be described.

`On the shafts 2 and are arranged collars 15 15', which are loosely mounted to slide upon said shafts, but do not turn therewith. Each movable pulley-disk 8 S is provided with a sliding hub or projection consisting of arms 18, projecting from the outer face thereof and connected at their outer ends to a ring or band 19, sliding loosely on the shaft and bearing against the collar. These arms 18 fit and slide through a bearing-collar 17, xed to the shaft, whereby the said movable pulley-disk is free to slide toward and from the collar 15 or 15, but rotates with the shaft. As heretofore stated, the belt is adapted to assume a U form to fit the conical driving-surfaces of the cone-disks of each pulley and has therefore a tendency to cause considerable end thrust-that is to say, it tends to force the cones apart and to produce undesirable friction on the sliding collars 15 and 15. To take up a part of this end thrust and prevent undue friction on the collars 15 and 15', a coilspring 16 is arranged to bearagainst the outer surface of each loose pulley-disk S and 8 and extends between the saine and the bearingcollar 17. The collars 15 and 15 are adapted to bear against the rings or bands 19, but are free from connection therewith, and act in the natureof stops to limit the outward movement of the movable pulley-disks S and S' and to take up a portion of the end thrust of the driving-belt thereon. The springs 16 being arranged between the movable pulley-disks and bearing-collars 17 normally act to resist the outward movement of said loose disks nnder the end thrust of the belt, and thereby maintain said disks in working position and at the same time relieve the shifting collars 15 and 15 against the greater portion of the IOO IIO

pressure of the bands 19 and prevent undue friction between these parts. Each bearingcollar 17 consists of two sections 17 172, removably clamped to its shaft by bolts 173 and provided with communicating recesses 174, forming spaces to receive the arms 18, which slide through them.4 It is considered essential to employ the springs 16 on theA driveshaft; but they may be omitted, if desired, from the driven shaft, although their use ou the latter shaft gives betterresult in the way of reducing friction.

The collars 15 and 15l are simultaneously shifted one toward and the other from the cooperating loose disks 8 and 8 "to vary the speed ofthe gearing through the medium of mechanism which will now be described.

In the frame 1 is mounted at right angles to the shafts 2 and 3 a rock-shaft 2l), which is provided at opposite ends with crank-arms 2l and 21', to which are pivot-ally attached the connecting-rods 22 and 22', which are also pivotally attached, respectively, by means of yokes 152 engaging pins 153, to the sliding collars 15 and 15 to move -said collars toward and from the two loose disks 8 and 8.l The crank-arms 2l 21 are so arranged upon the rock-shaft 2O that when said rock-shaft is turned in one direction a reverse movement of the two loose disks 8 and 8 will take place, the disk 8, for instance,being moved away fromits complemental disk 7 ,while the disk 8' ismoved toward its complemental disk 7', the turning of the rock-shaft in the opposite direction causing a reverse action of these parts. This action is attained by the positive sliding of one of the loose disks toward its complemental fixed disk under the action of the shifting collar and the sliding of the other loose disk away from its complemental fixed disk under the endwise thrust of the belt as the coperating shifting collar is shiftedl in a direction away from said loose disk. Hence it will be seen that when the rock-shaft 2O is moved to the right in Fig. 1 the shifting collar 15 will be moved away from the pulley 4, allowing the loose pulley-disk 8 to be slid outward under the endwise thrust of the belt 6 against the tension of the spring 16, thereby reducing the pulley 4, while the pulley-disk 8', on the other hand, will be moved toward the pulley-disk 7 under the direct pressure of the collar 15', thus increasing the pulley 5. When, on the contrary, the rock-shaft 2O is turned to the left in Fig. 1, the disk 8 will be pushed toward the disk 7 by the collar 15, thus increasing the pulley 4, while the disk 8, being left free to slide by the outward movement of the collar 15', will be forced away from the disk 7 by the pressure of the belt `6, thus increasing the pulley 5. By this construction it will be seen that the relative a connecting-rod 27.

shaft, thereby adapting either shaft to run at will faster than the other. The rock-shaft 2O is operated through the instrumentality of a variable-speed lever 23, to which is connected, by means of a rod 24, one arm of a bellcrank lever 25, the other arm of which is connected to a crank-arm 26 on the rock-shaft by The variable-speed lever 23 is provided with a pawl 28 to engage a rack 29 on the framel to hold it xed in adj usted position, and by moving this lever inwardly towardthe frame the rock-shaft will be operated to reduce the pulley 4 and increase the pulley 5, while by throwing said lever in the reverseV direction lthe rock-shaft will be operated to increase the pulley 4 and reduce the pulley 5, whereby the' radius of the belt contact on the faces of the cones is shifted from onecone to the other and the relative speeds of the shafts 2 and 3 accordingly varied. 4

lt will be seen from'the foregoing description that each collar 15 15' when moved away from its pulley allows the loose pulley-disk to be slid outward by the endwise or lateral thrust of the belt and when moved toward the lpulley assists the spring 16 in moving the loose pulley-disk toward its fixed complemental disk; also, that as the spring 16 resists the outward movement of the loose pulleydisk under the thrust of the belt said spring ktakes up a part of the thrust, thereby preventing the band 19 from bearing too heavily on the collars 15 and 15' and producing undue friction.

Power is transmitted from the countereshaft 3 to a power-transmitting shaft 30 through a pinion 31, fixed on said counter-shaft and meshing with a gear-wheel 32, journaled to rotate loosely on the said power-transmitting shaft.

Reversing mechanism is provided whereby the driven parts of the variable-speed gearing may be run in either direction. This comprises a sprocket-pinion 33, fixed on the drive-shaft 2 and having passed therearound a chain 34, which also passes around a sprocket-wheel 35, journaled to rotate loosely and slide on the power-transmitting shaft 30. On said shaft 30 are fixed friction-disks -36 and 37, which are adapted to be engaged by frictional bearing-faces 36' and 37' on the said gear-wheel 32 and sprocket-wheel 35. The gear-wheel 32 and sprocket-wheel 35 are adapted to be alternately clutched to rotate with the shaft 30 by sliding them toward and from the said friction-disks and 37, and to effect this the said gear-wheel and sprocket- Wheel are provided with corresponding hubs or projections 38 and 38', which are formed with annular grooves 39 to receive segmental tongues or anges 40, formed upon the opposite ends of a sleeve 41, loosely mounted to slide and oscillate on the shaft 30, said tongues or flanges being mounted to move loosely in said grooves 39. The shaft 30 is supported by and journaled in the bearing 45 and hang- ICO ers 46'and 47. The hanger 46 has a bearingsleeve 48 to receive said shaft, and the hanger 47 a hub or sleeve 49 to receive the oscillatory sleeve 41. The lower ends of the hangers are connected and braced by a rod 50. The sleeve 41 is oscillated by means of a crank-arm 43, connected with a reverse-lever 42, by which said sleeve may be turned upon the shaft 30 and within the hub 49 in either direction. As the sleeve 41 is oscillated in one direction or the other it is also caused to slide longitudinally in one direction or the other on the shaft 3() to move the gear-wheel 32 into contact with its friction-disk 36 and the sprocket-wheel 35 away from its frictiondisk 37, or vice versa, and this -action is attained by the following construction: The sleeve 41 is provided yat each end with two similarly-projecting spiral cam-surfaces 51 and 52, which ride upon similar cam-surfaces 53 and 54, formed upon the ends of the bearing hub or sleeve 48.-- The cam-surfaces upon the opposite ends of the two sleeves also project similarly, so that when said sleeve 41 is turned in one direction it will be forced to slide in one direct-ion, and when turned in the other direction will be caused to slide in the'opposite direction. It will thus be seen that upon throwing the lever 42 in one direction the sleeve 41 will be turned in that direction, and through its tongues or flanges 40 engaging the grooves 39 and its cam-surfaces 5l and 52 engaging the cam-.surfaces 53 and 54 on the hub or sleeve 48 will slide the gearwheel 32 and sprocket-wheel 35 in the same direction, causing one of said Wheels-for instance, the gear-wheel 32-to come into frictional engagement with the friction-disk 36, while the sprocket-wheel 35 is drawn away from the other friction-disk 37. Upon throwing the reversing-lever in the opposite direction the reverse action takes place, and by operating this lever the sleeve 41 may be moved to cause the gear-wheel 32 to engage the friction-disk 36 or the sprocket-wheel 35 to engage the friction-disk 37, as desired. When it is desired to have the power-transmitting shaft 30 turn in one direction, the reverse-lever 42 is operated to turn the sleeve 41 to bring the frictional bearing-face 36 of the gear-wheel 32 into engagement with the frictiondisk 36, whereupon said gear-wheel 32 will be clutched or rigidly connected to turn with the shaft 30, and power being communicated thereto from the counter-shaft 3 by the pinion 31 will drive said shaft 30 in one direction. When the parts are being operated through this arrangement of the gearing, the sprocket-chain 34-turns the sprocket-wheel 35 loosely around the shaft 30, whereby the latter is left vfree to be operated by the gear-wheel 32. When, however, it is desired to cause the driving parts of the speedgearing to turn in the reverse direction, the reversing-lever 42 may be shifted to turn the sleeve 41 in the reverse direction to that lheretofore described, causing the gear-wheel 32 to move away from the friction-disk 36 and the' sprocket-wheel 35 to engage the friction-disk 37, thus fiXiu g said sprocket-wheel to the s haft 30, whereupon motion will be communicated to the shaft 30 from the drive-shaft 1 through the medium of the pinion 33 and chain 34, whereby a reverse direction of movement of the drive members of the speed-gearing will be set up in a manner readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of the invention will be readily understood without a further extended description, and it will be seen that affelfective form of variable speedgearing and reversing mechanism therefor is provided.

Various modifications in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Variable-speed mechanism comprising two shafts, an expansible pulley mounted on each shaft, each pulley consisting of a fixed member and a movable member, a belt connecting said pulleys, a loose shifting collar on each shaft, a iXed bearing-collar on each shaft between the loose member and shifting collar, a hub or projection extending from each loose member and sliding in said liXed collar, and adapted to bear against said shifting collar, and a coil-spring surrounding said hub or projection between each loose member and fixed bearing-collar, and serving to normally press said loose member toward its complemental fixed member and to take up a part of the endwise thrust of the belt, thereby preventing undue friction between the said hub or proj ection and shifting collar, substantially as set forth.

2. Variable-speed mechanism comprising two shafts, an expansible pulley mounted on each shaft, each pulley consisting of a fixed member and a movable member, a belt connecting said pulleys, a loose shifting collar ou each shaft, a fixed bearing-collar on each shaft between the loose member and shifting collar,a hub or projection extending from each loose member and sliding in said fixed collar and adapted to bear against said shifting collar,a coil-spring surrounding said hub or projection between each rloose member and fixed bearing-collar and serving to normally press said loose member toward its complemental fixed member and to take up a part of the endwise thrust of the belt, thereby preventing undue friction between the said hub or projection and shifting collar, and means for simultaneously operating the shifting collars to contract one pulley and expand the other pulley, substantially as specified.

3. In a variable-speed device, a drive-shaf t, a driven shaft,-a power-transmitting shaft,

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`variable-speed gearing between the driveshaft and the driven shaft for changing the relative speeds of said shafts, said gearing comprising expansible pulleys on said drive and driven shafts, a belt connecting said pulleys, and means for simultaneously contracting one pulley and expanding the other pulley; in combination with gearingbetween the driven shaft and power-transmitting shaft and between the drive-shaft and power-transmitting shaft, and means for throwing either of said two sets of gearing connecting with the power-transmitting shaft into action at will for operating the drive parts of the gearing in either direction as desired, substantially in the manner set forth.

4:. In a variable-speed device, the combination of two shafts, pulleys mounted thereon, each comprising a fixed and a movable part, a belt connecting the pulleys, sliding sleeves for operating the movable parts of the pulleys, a rock-shaft, connections between the rock-shaft and sleeves to operate said sleeves to cause one to slide the movable part of one pulley toward the fixed part of said pulley, and the other sleeve to slide the movable part of the other pulley away from the fixed part of said latter pulley, a bell-crank lever, a variable-speed lever connected with 4one arm of said bell-crank lever, and a connection between the other arm of the bell-crank lever and the rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In a variable-speed device, the combination of a drive-shaft, a counter-shaft and a power-transmitting shaft, cone-pulleys on the drive and counter shafts, a belt connecting said pulleys, means for simultaneously and alternately contracting and expanding the pulleys to vary the relative speeds of said drive and counter shafts, gearing between the counter-shaft and power-transmitting shaft including a member loosely mounted on the latter shaft, gearing between the drive-shaft and power-transmitting shaft and also including a member loosely mounted on the powertransmitting shaft, clutches alternately acting on the said two loose members on the power-transmitting shaft for reversing the action of the gearing, and means for operating said clutches, substantially as set forth.

6. In a variable-speed device, the combination of a drive-shaft, a counter-shaft and a power-transmitting shaft, cone-pulleys on the drive and counter shafts, a belt connecting said pulleys, means for simultaneously and alternately contracting and expanding the pulleys to vary the relative speeds of said drive and counter shafts, gearing between the counter-shaft and power-transmitting shaft including a member loosely mounted on the latter shaft, gearing between the driveshaft and power-transmitting shaft and also including a member loosely mounted on the power transmitting shaft, clutches alternately acting on the'said two loose members on the power-transmitting shaft for reversing the action of the gearing, and earns for operating said clutches, substantially as set forth.

7. A variable-speed device comprising two shafts, an expansible pulley on each shaft,

spring and releasing the other movable pulley member to adapt it to move outward under the thrust of the belt and against the tension of its spring, substantially as described.

8. Variable-speed mechanism comprising a drive shaft, a driven shaft, an expansible pulley on each shaft, the pulley on the driveshaft consisting of a fixed member and a movable member, means for simultaneously eX- panding one pulley and contracting the other pulley, said means including a shifting collar on the drive-shaft, a fixed bearing-collar on the drive-shaft between the loose pulleymember and shifting collar, a hub or projection extending from said loose pulley member and sliding in said fixed collar and adapted to bear against said shifting collar, and a coilspring surrounding said hub or` projection between the loose pulley membler and the Xed bearing-collar, and serving to normally press said loose pulley member toward the complemental fixed pulley member and to take up a part of the endwise thrust of the belt, thereby preventing undue; friction be tween the hub or projection and. shifting collar, substantially as specifi In testimony whereof I my hand in presence of tr nesses.

GEOR" Witnesses: H. B. HoYT,

G. R. HAIGH. 

